White House Can't Get Personnel in Place to Handle President's Visits to Malaysia, Philippines

The partial shutdown of the U.S. government is already taking a toll on one of President Barack Obama's top foreign policy priorities: strengthening America's ties with the fast-growing economies of Asia.

ENLARGE

President Barack Obama, pictured in Washington on Oct. 1, postponed trips to Malaysia and the Philippines to deal with the partial shutdown of the U.S. federal government.
Associated Press

The White House said on Wednesday that it had canceled Mr. Obama's visits next week to Malaysia and the Philippines. The administration is still assessing the president's plans to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting on Monday and Tuesday in Indonesia and another regional summit in Brunei after Congress failed to agree on funding the government in the new fiscal year, which began Tuesday.

Foreign policy analysts say that curtailing the trip to Asia could prove a serious embarrassment for the Obama administration. The president has put Asia at the center of U.S. foreign policy in his second term, hoping build economic and diplomatic ties in the fastest-growing part of the world economy after a decade focused on the Middle East and Afghanistan. U.S. government officials have spoken repeatedly about the importance of the region and the U.S.'s role there, often pointing to how Washington's engagement in the region after the end of World War II helped usher in a period of breathtaking economic growth.

"If the president does make it to the APEC and East Asia summit meetings, people will still know he's damaged goods in that he'll be severely distracted," said Carlyle Thayer, emeritus professor at the Australian Defence Force Academy and an expert on geopolitical balance in the region. "If he doesn't show up, well, the implications are terrific. The current situation in the United States has created a disaster for U.S. foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific region. And you can be sure that China will be there, making hay."

Indeed, Chinese President Xi Jinping was in Jakarta on Wednesday, meeting Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in an effort to boost trade and investment. The countries agreed on a currency swap agreement worth $15 billion for three years that could support Indonesia's rupiah, which has suffered in the recent emerging markets crisis, while companies are expected to sign 23 investment agreements Thursday covering mineral refining, telecommunications, railway and housing projects.

Domestic problems have disrupted Mr. Obama's plans to match China's growing influence the region before. In 2010, he twice postponed visits to Indonesia and Australia, to help push through health-care legislation and then again to manage the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, before eventually visiting the region later in the year.

The following year, the White House launched a broad-reaching rebalancing, or pivot, of its policy to Asia, and in 2012 Mr. Obama visited Thailand, Cambodia, and notably Myanmar, where China's economic clout began to dwindle after Washington encouraged the former military-run state to accelerate political and economic reforms.

Much of Washington's momentum is now placed in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a proposed free trade zone spanning the U.S. and 11 other Asia and Pacific countries, including Japan, Australia, and Malaysia, although not China, which is aiming to expand another free-trade pact in Asia. Mr. Obama aims to conclude negotiations on the pact by the end of the year, with U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman describing it as a top priority during a visit to Japan in August.

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Still, some Asian diplomats previously expressed their concern privately that the Obama administration began to lose its focus on Asia after former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stepped down last year. Ms. Clinton traveled frequently to the region, and was to many policy-makers here the face of the U.S. "pivot." Her successor, John Kerry, has spent much of his time working on issues in the Middle East, especially in reviving talks between Israel and Palestine and more recently the Russian-opened opportunity to get Syria to give up chemical weapons.

U.S. officials worry that if the government shutdown forces Mr. Obama to abandon his Asian trip entirely, then it risks reinforcing the impression that Washington isn't as committed to the region as it claims.

"It does have an effect on our relationships around the world and it cuts straight to the obvious question: Can you rely on the United States as a reliable partner to fulfill its commitment to its allies?" Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in South Korea earlier this week. "It does cast a very significant pall over America's credibility with our allies when this kind of thing happens."

So far, there is little sign of a public backlash against the Obama administration's moves to cancel the visits to Malaysia and the Philippines. Government officials and local analysts said the stalemate in Congress that led to partial shutdown of government is well understood, while the White House said Mr. Obama plans to visit the countries at a later date. Mr. Kerry, the secretary of state, will visit those nations in his place for now.

"It just shows the depth of the crisis, of the shutdown, that President Obama has to attend to it," said Ramon Casiple, a political analyst and executive director for a Manila-based think-tank, Political and Electoral Reform in the Philippines.

The White House said that it couldn't get personnel in place to handle the visits to Malaysia and the Philippines, which came at the end of a four-nation swing. It cited the shutdown that has forced agencies to furlough hundreds of thousands of federal workers.

"Logistically, it was not possible to go ahead with these trips in the face of a government shutdown," said Caitlin Hayden, a spokeswoman for the White House National Security Council. She said the "completely avoidable shutdown is setting back our ability to promote U.S. exports and advance U.S. leadership in the largest emerging region in the world."

And some observers said that if Mr. Obama does in fact make it to the APEC and East Asia Summit meetings in Indonesia and Brunei, it could make a strong impression on his Asian trading partners.

"If the White House can hold on to President Obama's trip to Indonesia for APEC and Brunei for the EAS," Ernie Bower at the Center for Strategic International Studies in Washington noted, then the U.S.'s "strong commitment is underlined."

Obama skipped the APEC summit in Vladivostok last year amid-the hard-fought U.S. election campaign. But missing it this time might delay striking the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal into 2014 or beyond, said Edmund Sim, partner at Appleton Luff International Lawyers and an expert on trade law. Ministers also hope the APEC meeting can come up with a Pacific Rim consensus that would advance the stalled Doha round of the World Trade Organization.

"Here, the president's absence would be an ominous sign that the United States is not prepared to get the TPP, let alone a WTO agreement, though Congress,'' Mr. Sim said.

—Jared A. Favole in Washington, Cris Larano in Manila, Natasha Brereton-Fukui in Singapore, and Joko Hariyanto and Sara Schonhardt in Jakarta contributed to this article.

Obama travels more and accomplishes less, he just can't run the nation, but he tries to run all other countries, he is a true disgrace to this country, he needs to pack up his tribe and move where he belongs, OUT OF THIS COUNTRY !

It does look like America (heavily laden by poor economy and political entanglement) is gradually losing its grip on Southeast Asia, providing a rare opportunity for China to step in. Beijing has been working hard to strengthen its influence in this region, more so if it wants a stronger voice on South China Sea islets issue. Anyway, President Xi is visiting Indonesia and Malaysia.

This and making campign speeches taking pot shots at Republicans while refusing to negotiate, refusing to allow funding for programs he himself has declared important, and turning WWII vets away from a granite memorial to their sacrifice is what passes for leadership in the Democ-rat party today.

It's funny hearing the shut down costs us 300 million dollars a day. The dems have not been worried about spending,even after more than doubling the national debt since the great messiah came to office. My rough math skills say this is saving tax dollars. If we have a million workers not getting paid at 300 dollars per day(including benefits) that's 300 million we are not spending. Less vacations around the world for Obama and his vacation pals is another 100 million per week of savings. Lets strip the bloated government of 50% of its size and revenue starting yesterday. Hurray!

Pharmaceutical drugs is the # 1 killer . The new war on drugs will be Obamacare and birth defects . Obamacare given free drugs online . will add to addiction and methadone clinics rise in a town near you . Addition to drugs will cause birth defects for profits . USA on Drugs..25000 new government employees at the expense of Americans 150 translators needed to translate Obamacare…in 2 years the democrats will be responsible for outsourcing jobs overseas for medical devices to pharmaceutical drugs and people will sign up online to get their drugs and entitlements will rise like never before, Pres.Obama will launder tax money to the E.U. We can not afford Obamacare with out having the Borders secure and illegals selling drugs in the U.S.. I was Assaulted by a Hospital in Romneycare Massachusetts kept to fill a Hospital bed for 2 days for Profits and the cure was only antibiotics and a bandaid . But was abused and assaulted to fill a bed to even having to walk out because of they wanted to put me to sleep bill $9500. Went to another state to get help without having to stay more then 2 hrs total Bill $465 ! With a Doctor’s statement on the Abuse from a Hospital in Massachusetts from Romneycare and their fraud ! Government in the Healthcare business is like given drug dealers a license .. Obama has a vision the vision is America on drugs and outsource jobs

Ahhh, what a pity that Obama can't attend meeting with his Muslim pals in Indonesia. He should be visiting Israel instead as an affirmation of his support. But no, he'd rather be talking to Iranian thugs and Muslim terrorists than engaging the Congress or aligning himself with US allies.

I'm sorry lefties but we are fighting Obama's wars, we are living in Obama's economy, we have Obama's joblessness, we made it through Obama's sequester, and this is Obama's government shut down soon to be followed by Obama's second debt downgrade.

Poor mooshell, she was so looking forward to another vacation trip and spending more taxpayer money. Those stingy Republicans have ruined her plans.

The mindless liberal democrats think that they can blame the Republicans for the shutdown, but it's already quite clear that the president and his thugs in the Senate refuse to compromise with the House or even discuss the budget with the House, and the House has been working tirelessly to come up with a fair budget bill, and old Harry the obstructionist won't even allow a vote on anything. The fools in the Senate will find out in 2014 that We the People are sick of the tyranny of Obama the incompetent.

"The White House said Wednesday that it couldn't get personnel in place to handle the president's visits to those countries, citing the shutdown, which has forced agencies to furlough hundreds of thousands of federal workers." - Awww.. It's always about him isn't it? He could have stated that he was reducing the trip to the least necessary in order to get back to the states over this budget mess. But Noooooooo! It's about not having enough servants. Bah!

What a joke! first of all Barry is not negotiating, so go already. Saying there not enough government employees to make the trip possible also a joke. So the secret service and Air Force One pilots are furloughed? I highly doubt it.

Obama's rotten a$s should be in Washington, D.C. bringing congress together to get the mess he created straightened out. Not only is Obama unfit for the office, the man-child is utterly reprehensible. But this is his m.o., create a sh!tstorm, blame someone else, then take a trip.

There are a number of factual errors in this piece. The most glaring is the statement about the "Russian-opened opportunity to get Syria to give up chemical weapons." That was opened by John Kerry's gaffe, albeit well exploited by an Russian adversary that is obviously intellectually more capable and politically more savvy, at least if one makes the assumption that the corresponding US politicians are attempting to act in the interests of the US. However, given that the only truthful statement John Kerry ever made about his beliefs in the halls of Congress came back in his 1972 testimony, that is likely a false assumption.

On a related note, it is absurd to claim that any of the recent domestic political maneuvering in anyway undermines US credibility in Asia or anywhere else in the world. That was systematically squandered since January 2009, in accordance with the ideology of those elected to power, and was completed eliminated long before the FY 2014 budget had a single character of print dedicated to it.

Foreign policy analysts say that curtailing the trip to Asia could prove a serious embarrassment for the Obama administration. The president has put Asia at the center of U.S. foreign policy in his second term, hoping build economic and diplomatic ties in the fastest-growing part of the world economy after a decade focused on the Middle East and Afghanistan. U.S. government officials have spoken repeatedly about the importance of the region and the U.S.'s role there, often pointing to how Washington's engagement in the region after the end of World War II helped usher in a period of breathtaking economic growth.

and this is the most accurate assessment of this administration I have read in 4 plus years

"If the president does make it to the APEC and East Asia summit meetings, people will still know he's damaged goods in that he'll be severely distracted,"

Too bad. The TPP was the one foreign policy bright spot in an otherwise dismal 5 years of foreign policy reversal. Rumors are that the elephants that would carry his state trappings to Malaysia and the Philippines have been put on furlough. One would expect that with his intent to 'not negotiate' and to 'lead from behind' that Joe Biden could handle the assignment.....although designating a few minders might be prudent. Leaving it to Lurch will hardly do.

He should not be allowed to go. It will cost millions for him to travel with his entourage ( would that include Michelle, the kids and the dogs)? He shouldn't be worried that the rest of the world thinks he is "damaged goods". He is. That was established in the Putin debacle of a few weeks ago. POTUS is an idiot; a liar; a cheater; and is a doubtful natural born citizen. The only reason he was admitted to Columbia; to Harvard; elected to the Illinois State Senate; the US Senate; and the Presidency, is that he is black. (Actually half black). He has no experience as a statesman; as a business leader; or as a leader of anything. The rest of the world already knows this, and has judged our POTUS as a fool.

"If the president does make it to the APEC and East Asia summit meetings, people will still know he's damaged goods in that he'll be severely distracted," said Carlyle Thayer, emeritus professor at the Australian Defence Force Academy and an expert on geopolitical balance in the region. "If he doesn't show up, well, the implications are terrific. The current situation in the United States has created a disaster for U.S. foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific region. And you can be sure that China will be there, making hay."

People outside the U.S. already know that Obama the Insignificant is "damaged goods", it's about 50% (or less) of the people inside the U.S. who have not fully come to that relization yet.

Some poll told dear leader that the public didn't think it was very presidential to be off galavanting around the world with the government in partial shutdown, so he changed his plans. If a poll told him it was fine, he'd still be overseas.

Now that the government is shut down, Obumer doesn't know what to do, so he must take a trip somewhere to get his instructions from his handlers. He can't do that here in the US, because his keepers would be seen and known by the US press. The small instructions are given--more then likely--on the golf course, but big issues require his necessary (many) trips.

A lot of the Shut down issues are geared to hurt the general public in an attempt to prove a point. Shutting down the National parks, Statue of Liberty and the PANDA CAM--give me a break.

This is all part of Obama's transformation of the US. Deny the exceptional aspect of our heritage; spend us into oblivion; demean those who fight back with personal attacks; give government aid as sugar to a diabetic; and tell those of us who are in the minority to "Go to Hell." This is statesmanship by a high school student council leader at its best!

Yes. The JP-4 for the Air Force Academy football team has been diverted to Air Force One. This is Sequester antics all over again: inflict as much pain on the little people no matter how petty to bend them to the Administration's will.

Oh, but the White House has "personnel in place for John Kerry to visit the same countries, just not for our great Divider. Obama will soon be blaming everything including tide levels and facial acne on the shutdown. What a one trick poney!

The general public has already been hurt and the Shutdown is an attempt to address the core reason that the federal government has already grown larger than the public can afford to pay for! Adding Obamacare is like throwing an anchor to a drowning man to keep the anchor makers employed!

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